India extended their good run with a convincing 24-run victory over England in the second Women’s T20 International at Bristol, on their ongoing white-ball tour of England 2025. The win not only gave India a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series but also handed England their first-ever T20I defeat at the venue.
Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur returned to the playing XI for the second T20I, replacing Harleen Deol in the lineup. While Nat Sciver-Brunt led, England went with an unchanged XI for the second match.
After a lacklustre performance in the first match, England’s seamers bounced back strongly in the second T20I. They struck early, dismissing India’s previous match centurion Smriti Mandhana, her opening partner Shafali Verma, and the returning skipper Harmanpreet Kaur for low scores. Maintaining tight lines and lengths, the English pacers restricted India to 31 for 3 at the end of the powerplay.
However, Jemimah Rodrigues showed why she is a vital part of the squad. Coming in at 3 in place of Harleen Deol, Rodrigues overcame a slow start to unleash a flurry of boundaries, eventually scoring a fluent 63 off 41 deliveries before being dismissed.
Rodrigues was well supported by all-rounder Amanjot Kaur, who was promoted to No. 5. Amanjot brought up her maiden T20I fifty and remained unbeaten on a fluent 63 off just 40 balls. Wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh chipped in with a brisk 32, as the pair added an unbroken 57-run partnership, helping India post 181 for 4, the second-highest total in women’s T20 internationals at Bristol.
In response, India once again dominated with the ball, taking three wickets inside the powerplay, including that of England skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt. The English openers again failed to fire, with both Sophia Dunkley and Danni Wyatt-Hodge dismissed for just one run each. Tammy Beaumont’s half-century was the only positive in England’s innings. She and Amy Jones attempted to steady the chase with a brief partnership, but after their dismissals, the English batting line-up collapsed, ultimately falling 24 runs short of India’s total.
After her four-wicket haul on debut, young Shree Charani once again stood out with the ball, claiming the key wickets of Amy Jones and Alice Capsey in a single over, effectively putting England out of the contest. Deepti Sharma and Amanjot Kaur chipped in with a wicket each, while England’s poor running between the wickets proved costly, resulting in three runouts.
The dynamic and fearless all-rounder Harmanpreet Kaur made her T20I captaincy debut for India on 31st October 2012, against Pakistan at Guangzhou. With every passing series, she has continued to redefine what leadership means for Indian women’s cricket. Now standing on the cusp of history, Harmanpreet is just three wins away from surpassing Meg Lanning, the Australian legend, atop the all-time leaderboard for most T20I wins as captain.
Harmanpreet, with 73 wins from 124 matches, has already etched her name firmly among the icons of the sport, trailing only Lanning’s 76 wins from 100 outings, and with India’s most recent win in the 2nd T20I against England, she has overtaken England’s former skipper Heather Knight, who boasts 72 wins in 96 matches.
Harmanpreet’s journey as India’s T20I skipper has been nothing short of extraordinary. Not only has she become the most successful Indian captain in the format, but she’s done so with a brand of leadership marked by resilience, tactical astuteness, and a relentless drive to put Indian women’s cricket on the global map. Her win/loss ratio of 1.565, bettered only by vice-captain Smriti Mandhana’s 1.666 (from a smaller sample of 17 games), underscores her consistency and ability to inspire results even in challenging situations.
With 73 wins, 46 defeats, 5 washed-out games, and a tied encounter under her captaincy, Harmanpreet’s record embodies both longevity and sustained excellence. Her leadership has nurtured a team that believes in itself, dares to dream, and backs those dreams up with performances on the field.
As Harmanpreet Kaur closes in on Meg Lanning’s record, it’s not just about numbers. It’s about a legacy that will inspire generations of cricketers. It’s about the transformation of Indian women’s cricket, from underdogs to genuine contenders. Whether she lifts another trophy or not, Harmanpreet has already led India to new horizons. The next win, whenever it comes, will be another feather in a cap already heavy with achievements, testament to a skipper who has changed the face of Indian cricket, one victory at a time.
